Aaron & Jackson: Afterdark
by Dayne Dinning
Summary: What could happen this halloween? **NOT SMUT**
1. October 31st 2011: After Dark

"October 31st 2011: After dark Part One"

WRITTEN BY DAYNE DINNING

# Disclaimer – I do not own Emmerdale or any of the characters used.

ONE SHOT: This is just an idea, which I wanted to write up, enjoy

"Mum, will you just go, I'll be alright!" Aaron urged her as they stood at the front door of the pub.

Chas sighed. "I'm not sure Aaron..."

Aaron sighed too and looked up. "Oh come on, I'm not gunna do it...you can trust me"

"Can I really?" she asked.

Aaron looked back at her as he nodded. "Yes you can, the counselling is going good, and you can't say you haven't noticed..."

"Hmm..." Chas mumbled. "No you're right I have...I just don't like the idea of leaving you here by yourself...alright, look I'm just over the road at Gennie's if you need me, call..."

Aaron sighed.

"I mean it and if you want any lager leave the money on the side"

Aaron frowned.

"What? Just 'cause you live here doesn't entitle you to free drinks"

"Diane wouldn't notice" Aaron replied.

Chas laughed. "Oh believe me she would and I don't want her coming back from her holiday shouting at you"

"Alright alright..." Aaron agreed. "Enjoy the party"

Chas nodded. "I'll try" she looked at her son and couldn't help but smile. "You worry me you do"

Aaron moved closer to her and put her arms around her. "Well don't"

"Jackson would be so proud of you, you know that don't you?" she asked as both of them pulled away and she looked at him.

Aaron breathed in and nodded. "I hope so"

Chas smiled. "I'll see you in the morning kid" she told him as she backed out of the pub.

"Night mum" Aaron stepped back and closed the door and began locking it.

Aaron walked back through the pub around to the bar, he flicked the switches and turned the lights off.

"Aaron"

As he did, he swore he heard his name being whispered, followed by a faint knock coming from the door to the cellar; it did make him raise an eyebrow but he shoved it aside until of course he had to walk past there, as he neared he got the jitters and ran into the living room and closed the door and stood leaning against it with his eyes closed allowing his heart a few seconds to sink back to its place in his chest.

"Good job there's lager in the fridge cause I aint going back out there" he said to himself and pushed himself off the door and walked to the kitchen; he grabbed himself a can and sat on the couch, grabbed the TV remote and turned it on, he cracked his can open and thought good thoughts. Whether what he heard was real or not he couldn't be sure but it unnerved him slightly; not that he'd admit that to anyone of course and certainly not because it was Jackson's voice.

As he watched TV, he could hear knocks and bangs coming from different places in the pub, personally he didn't think it was funny and he could tell it wasn't outside so he wasn't going to bother looking and he knew the pub was empty. As he flicked through the channels he stumbled across most haunted. He sighed as he placed his can back down. "That's all I need...knock once for yes" he mocked as he quickly changed the channel.

****BANG****

An almighty bang echoed into the living room from the passageway into the bar. Aaron jumped up and spilt his can over himself. That didn't concern him. He got up; he was sorting this out now. He walked near the door and grabbed the baseball bat that was leaning up against the wall in between the unit. He held it tightly and up by his head and opened the door quietly and took a breath and went and searched the pub.

An hour or so later it was just after midnight and Aaron had fallen asleep on the couch with the baseball by his side. The house had been empty but that had made him wonder even more.

The pub was completely silent, the only room that was lit was the living room but it began to get brighter as a quick white flash beamed throughout the room and then settled revealing...Jackson kneeling down on the floor watching Aaron sleep...

To Be Continued...


	2. October 31st 2011: After Dark Part Two

"October 31st 2011: After dark Part Two"

WRITTEN BY DAYNE DINNING

# Disclaimer – I do not own Emmerdale or any of the characters used.

ONE SHOT: This is just an idea, which I wanted to write up, enjoy

Jackson was in essence still dead, a spirit of whom had been given one chance, one night to appear visibly to his loved ones by some spiritual force, and he had chosen Aaron naturally. It had been precisely twenty weeks and six days since he drank that fateful dose of drugs that had taken his life. But now he was happier, he could feel. He could walk. But on the other hand, watching Aaron tear himself apart all of those weeks upset him dearly and angered him. He needed to come back to visit. He wouldn't rest in peace as it were until he did.

Jackson breathed and smiled slightly as he watched him sleep. "What you been doing to yourself Aaron?" Jackson whispered with a sigh.

Aaron began to stir and his eyes flickered open. He immediately frowned and backed up against the couch letting out a loud shaky sigh that sounded like it had been pulled from him with force. Aaron was scared. "What the...? Is this a dream? Jackson your dead"

Jackson nodded with a smile. "I know I' am and this is real." He told him.

"Then what you doing here?" Aaron frowned, although the rest of his body was frozen due to the shock of seeing his only love.

"I've come to have words with you mate; you know that whole thing about resting in peace..." Jackson stood up. "Well I can't..." he pointed down at him. "Move up then"

Aaron was shell shocked, his eyes were wide as he watched him as he moved up to allow him a seat, and he was unaware of the tears streaming down his face. "How? You're walking" he said as the tears dropped.

Jackson nodded. "How doesn't matter" he smiled. "My spirit...soul whatever this is...was never broken" he smiled. "I've missed you so much Aaron"

Aaron wiped his eyes and concentrated on him puzzled. "This can't be real"

"Touch me then" Jackson told him.

Aaron scowled. "Why? I'll just go right through ya"

Jackson chuckled and reached out and touched Aaron's hand.

Aaron had to take a second to think. He wasn't cold and his hand didn't go through Jackson's; in actual fact he was solid just like he was and warm too. "Okay...okay..." he relaxed "...I didn't think things like this were real"

"Forget that, out of everyone I chose to come see you"

"Oh thanks" Aaron scoffed.

"Yeah well..." he smirked. "No, in all seriousness Aaron, there's no one else I'd rather visit, you were the love of my life, we weren't perfect, we were a mess most of the time but in that mess was love and I did Aaron and I still do, you're everything to me"

Aaron looked up at him and nodded. "I love you too, I've never stopped and I never will but I've been so angry at you at times, to the point of hating you"

"I know, I've been with you Aaron"

"Yeah? Well I'd wish you'd never drank that stuff! I wish you could have tried harder"

Jackson shrugged. "I couldn't Aaron; you couldn't even begin to put yourself in my shoes, you might have tried when I was alive but..."

"I came nowhere near as close" Aaron admitted.

"So the regrets you've had have to stop, I wanted this Aaron, I couldn't do it anymore, not because I didn't love any of you, or because I was bored of it or...I just..." Jackson sighed. "Couldn't face the rest of my life feeling the way I did"

Aaron was silent as he listened.

Jackson reached over and unzipped his grey hoody down a little, and lingered his fingers over the almost healed deep lacerations he'd inflicted upon himself, some had already healed but left a permanent scar. Jackson sighed as he leaned his head and rested it on Aaron's shoulder and shook it. "Why'd you do it for Aaron?" he asked quietly.

"It made me feel better, but you'd know that if you'd really been around" Aaron answered.

"I have been I just wanted to hear it from you" Jackson said as he took his hand and held it tightly. "I'm glad you've stopped, going to counselling... It's good to see you smiling again" Jackson looked up at him.

Aaron smiled.

"That's it" Jackson smiled too.

Aaron chuckled "This can't last forever can it?" he sank into Jackson.

"I'm afraid not" Jackson told him. "I'm not sure how long though"

Aaron mumbled. "We could have had a good life you know"

"If things had been different yeah"

Aaron left it there and settled against him, silently crying, savouring his scent, his warmth and touch for one last time.

"I scared you before didn't I?" Jackson asked with a smirk.

Aaron looked up at him with a scowl. "No" he said defensively.

Jackson laughed. "Yeah yeah...whatever you say..."

Aaron shook his head.

"Listen Aaron..."

Aaron sat up and turned around properly and looked into his eyes.

"This is the last time you'll see me and I just want you to know that I never blame you for the accident, things just happen you know" he smiled and Aaron squeezed his hand in response. "I want you to promise me that you'll never hurt yourself again, it's not good for you, there are other ways to feel better, and I'm asking...no I'm telling" both men smirked, Jackson was actually shocked that Aaron was still listening. "...let it all go, the sadness, guilt, and just remember the good things" Jackson stood up. It was time and pulled Aaron up with him. "Remember me the way I 'am now and used to be before the accident. Remember that you set me free and I wish there was some way I could repay you"

Aaron nodded as he cried but then frowned. "Are you saying goodbye?" he swallowed hard.

Jackson closed his eyes and nodded. "I have too" he placed his hand on his cheek.

"I don't want you too"

"I know, but I'm with you every day" Jackson's eyes filled with tears and the room began to brighten again. "This is it" Jackson's voice was pained. He wished he could stay but this was just a quick visit after all and he knew that.

Aaron breathed in, preparing himself for the goodbye and letting his boyfriend go.

There was silence for a few seconds as both men just watched each other, then Jackson smirked. _"__All__that__I__ '__am...__All__that__I__ever__was...Is__here__in__your__perfect__eyes...There__all__I__can__see__" _Jackson sang a line from the snow patrol song, Chasing cars and when he stopped he smiled as the tears fell. "You won't ever admit it but you love that song" Jackson smiled.

Aaron chuckled as he wiped his eyes with a quick nod. "Yeah I do...whenever I'm down I listen to it and hope you're there too...lying with me..." Aaron raised an eyebrow. "Cheesy or what?"

"I won't tell anyone if you don't"

Aaron shook his head and lunged himself quickly into Jackson's arms and held on tightly, the room becoming brighter with the strange unknown white light with each passing second.

"It still stands mate..."

Aaron's heart wrenched when Jackson spoke now, his voice was quietening.

"Don't ever forget me, I'm with you everyday"

Aaron nodded. "I won't, I couldn't...god Jackson...I love you so much"

Jackson smiled. "I know you do"

"And you still have changed my life" he repeated what were his final words to Jackson on the day of his death.

Jackson nodded with a smile as he began to fade. "Hey..." he said as he stepped back, now a full arms length away from him but still connected by a tight grip on his hand, but he let go... Jackson smiled widely, as he kept his gaze on Aaron as he remembered their night out in Bar West, when they had officially became boyfriends. That seemed like a million years ago now. "We never were just mates were we..." he smirked.

Aaron wiped his eyes and shook his head with a cheeky smirk.

"Take care of yourself Aaron...and remember I'm with you everyday – I love you"

Aaron nodded as he sobbed. Then Jackson and the unknown blinding white light was gone. The room was normal again now. Aaron was stood still; a mixture of feelings overwhelmed him, mainly happiness to see Jackson again, happiness because Jackson somehow on some spiritual level managed to make it through to communicate because he wanted too. But also sadness that it was short lived and probably would never happen again. But like Jackson requested he would remember him the way he was just then, walking and well. Aaron smiled as he sat back down on the sofa and took out his phone and looked down at the picture of him and Jackson on the background. "How can I forget you?" he said to himself with a slight smile.

The End.


End file.
